Brassiere shoulder strap



Filed Dec. 20, 1962 FIG.

INVENTOR FIG.

Grace Hole Markham United States Patent 3,115,878 BRASSIERE SHOULDERSTRAP Grace if. Markham, 2801 4th Ave., Richmond, Va. Filed Dec. 20,1962, Ser. No. 246,266 4 Claims. (Cl. 128-510) This invention relates tobrassieres. More particularly, it relates to an improved shoulder strapfor providing better support in a brassiere.

The strap most commonly used for support in present brassieres is anarrow ribbon-like straight strip of material connecting the top of therear portion of the brassiere with the apex of the cup in the frontportion of the brassiere, since this is supposed to provide a maximumamount of uplift to the bust supported within the bust cup when thestrap is draped over the shoulder of the wearer. After the brassiere hasbeen worn a short period of time the weight of the bust pulling on theshoulder strap often results in the strap painfully cutting into theflesh of the wearer, resulting in great soreness and discomfort. Variousexpedients have been suggested to relieve this pressure, including theuse of shoulder pads of cotton or foam rubber, interposed between thestraps and the shoulder of the wearer, the use of two or more strapsattached to each bust cup and even the use of shoulder pads incombination with a plurality of individual straps attached to both sidesof each bust cup have been suggested. Still another expedient tried hasbeen the insertion of wires or other mechanical devices to support thebust from below, but this expedient merely transfers the discomfort andsoreness to another area and does not eliminate it.

The primary object of the present invention is the provision of arelatively wide shoulder strap with a seam cut on the bias on theshoulder as explained below, and which is of a sufiicient width tosupport three separate and individually adjustable narrower straps,arranged so that the center one of the three straps is attached to theapex of the bust cup. As a result of the arrangement described, the bustis given a natural graceful uplift and the weight of the bust issupported in an easy and comfortable manner directly by the three narrowstraps and this weight is transmitted by them to the suitablyconstructed wide strap which passes over the shoulder of the personwearing the brassiere and which is attached to the rear of the garment.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a shoulder strapthe front and back ends of which are cut on the straight of the materialand having a transversely extending seam cut on the bias, said seambeing in that portion of the broad strap which passes over the shoulderand which is approximately equidistant from the ends of the broad strap.It has been found that a shoulder strap constructed in the mannerdescribed is more corfortable to wear than presently available narrowerbrassiere straps and that in addition to the enhanced comfort it holdsits shape after numerous launderings. Without the seam the strap wouldhave a tendency to fan out toward the convex side. With the seam on thebias, there is provided a slightly greater amount of give or elasticityat the shoulder line, than along the remainder of the strap permittingthe strap to fit more comfortably to the contours of shoulder.

The invention will be better understood from a consideration of thefollowing description and drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a view in perspective showing the upper portion of abrassiere having shoulder straps according to this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the improved strap showing the strap as itappears when laid on a flat surface;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary view showing the front end of one strapattached to a bust cup; and

3,115,878 Patented Dec. 31, 1963 FIGURE 4 is a detail of a portion ofthe adjusting means.

As may be seen in FIGURE 1, the brassiere is more or less conventionaland except for the shoulder straps the particular elements of thebrassiere form no part of this invention. The brassiere comprises a bodyencircling band 12 of any desired length, i.e. short, three quarterlength or full length, at the top of which there are bust cups 14 andshoulder straps 16. Band 12 may have an elastic section in the rear, andmay be fastened by snaps or hooks at any suitable location, as isconventional in such garments.

The shoulder strap 16 of this invention, shown in greater detail inFIGURES 2 and 3 comprises a relatively wide portion 20: extending from arear edge 22 cut on the straight and which is sewed or otherwisesuitably attached to the upper rear portions of the body encircling bandand another relatively wide strapportion 24 joined to portion '20 alonga seam 26. Strap portion 24 terminates in a front edge 28, also cut onthe straight. Edge 28 hangs down toward the bust cups 14 in the front ofthe garment, but does not extend to the upper margin of the bust cup.

The distance between the front edge 28 of the relatively wide strap 16and the upper margin of the bust cup 14 is spanned by three narrowerstraps 30, 32 and 34 each of which is sewed or otherwise attached to thefront edge 28 and each of which carries a means 50 for adjusting thelength of the narrow straps individually. By suitably adjusting thelength of each of the three narrower straps supporting the bust cup, thecup is made to conform to the dimensions of the individual Wearing thebrassiere in a manner which is comfortable and free from thedisadvantages described above. Strap 32 it will be noted is pointedtoward the apex of the bust cup 14 and straps 30 and 34 are attached toedge 28 closely adjacent to strap 30 in a manner such that they divergeslightly as is shown in exaggerated form in FIGURE 3. Opposite each ofthe narrower straps 30, 32 and 34 which constitute a first group ofnarrower straps there is a second group of narrower straps in the formof closed loops 60, 62 and 64 which are formed by sewing the free endsof relatively short straps to portions of the bust cup adjacent to theupper edge of the cup.

Any suitable means may be provided for the individual adjustment of thenarrower straps, 30, 32 and 34. Preferably this is a plastic buckle 50such as that shown in FIGURE 4 having a generally rectangular shape andincluding a lower edge 52 over which the relatively short, narrow loops60, 62 and 64 pass.

The upper portion of buckle 50 includes cross bars 56 and 58 and guidingfingers 59 and 57. When viewed from the aspect of FIGURE 3, the free endof each of straps 30, 32 and 34 passes downwardly behind and under thetopmost set of fingers 57 and thence passes in front of and overtransverse bars 56 and 58 and thence upwardly and behind 58 and thenceupwardly in front of bar 56 between bar 56 and the downwardly extendingportion of the same strap. The length of each strap is adjusted byvarying the amount of free end slipped through the buckle 50, in amanner well known in the art.

In one specific embodiment of the present invention wide portions of theshoulder strap were two inches wide at edges 22 and 28, the narrowportions of the shoulder strap were each about one-half inch wide,section 20 was about 7.75 inches long and section 24 was about 5.37inches long, each length being measured midway between the side margins.

It will be apparent that some changes may be made without departing fromthe spirit of this invention. For example the closed loops could beattached to wide strap instead of the bust cup, and the buckle andadjustable a strap would then be attached to the bust cup. Other devicescould be used to adjust the lengths of the individual straps.

Having now described a preferred embodiment of the invention it is notintended that it be limited except as may be required by the appendedclaims.

I claim:

1. In a brassiere including a body encircling portion, bust cupsattached to the front of said body encircling portion and shoulderstraps attached to said bust cups, the improved shoulder straps eachcomprising:

a relatively wide strap extending from a point of attachment adjacentthe upper rear edge of the body encircling portion and terminating in afree end spaced from the upper edge of one of said bust cups;

a first group of three relatively narrower straps, one end of each ofsaid relatively narrower straps being securely attached to the free endof said relatively wide strap;

a second group of three straps having substantially the same width asthe straps in said first group, each strap in said second group havingboth ends sewed to the upper portion of the bust cup, so as to form aloop;

and adjustable means connecting each one of said loops with thecorresponding strap in the first of said groups, whereby the distancebetween the free end of said wide strap and the upper edge of said bustcup may be varied in at least three places.

2. The brassiere of claim 1 in which the middle strap in said groups ofstraps is attached to the apex of the bust cup and the other two of saidrelatively narrower straps are attached to the bust cup one on each sideof the apex of the bust cup.

3. The brassiere of claim 1 in which the second group of straps isattached to the relatively wider strap and the first group of straps isattached to the bust cup.

4. The brassiere of claim 1 in which the relatively wide strap is cut onthe straight at each end and is cut on the bias along a seam joining thetwo straight portions of said strap.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS911,204 Busby Feb. 2, 1909 2,501,860 Becker Mar. 28, 1950 2,867,216Champagne et a1 Jan. 6, 1959 3,025,859 Rosenberg Mar. 20, 1962

1. IN A BRASSIERE INCLUDING A BODY ENCIRCLING PORTION, BUST CUPSATTACHED TO THE FRONT OF SAID BODY ENCIRCLING PORTION AND SHOULDERSTRAPS ATTACHED TO SAID BUST CUPS, THE IMPROVED SHOULDER STRAPS EACHCOMPRISING: A RELATIVELY WIDE STRAP EXTENDING FROM A POINT OF ATTACHMENTADJACENT THE UPPER REAR EDGE OF THE BODY ENCIRCLING PORTION ANDTERMINATING IN A FREE END SPACED FROM THE UPPER EDGE OF ONE OF SAID BUSTCUPS; A FIRST GROUP OF THREE RELATIVELY NARROWER STRAPS, ONE END OF EACHOF SAID RELATIVELY NARROWER STRAPS BEING SECURELY ATTACHED TO THE FREEEND OF SAID RELATIVELY WIDE STRAP; A SECOND GROUP OF THREE STRAPS HAVINGSUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME WIDTH AS THE STRAPS IN SAID FIRST GROUP, EACHSTRAP IN SAID SECOND GROUP HAVING BOTH ENDS SEWED TO THE UPPER PORTIONOF THE BUST CUP, SO AS TO FORM A LOOP; AND ADJUSTABLE MEANS CONNECTINGEACH ONE OF SAID LOOPS WITH THE CORRESPONDING STRAP IN THE FIRST OF SAIDGROUPS, WHEREBY THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE FREE END OF SAID WIDE STRAP ANDTHE UPPER EDGE OF SAID BUST CUP MAY BE VARIED IN AT LEAST THREE PLACES.